School Leadership

Megan Ben joined CDA in 2021 as the Human Resources Employment Manager. Originally from Midland, Texas, she moved to DFW to pursue her bachelor’s degree at the University of North Texas in 2005. She received an undergraduate degree in Sociology in 2007 and went on to receive her MBA in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management in 2014. She also holds a Certified Professional credential from the Society for Human Resource Management.

After serving in leadership roles in non-profit and for-profit roles, Megan realized her passion is to be a servant leader in an organization with a foundation in Jesus Christ. She comes to CDA with experience of serving others in a faith-based organization in the human resources function.

Megan has a four-year-old son, Clifton, and attends Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church in Flower Mound, Texas. She enjoys playing her violin in the orchestra and singing in the choir.

Samantha discovered Coram Deo Academy in 2007 as a student. Though her family moved away from the area shortly thereafter, the impact of CDA’s Christian, Classical, Collaborative education endured. After completing her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University, she married her husband, Bentley Davis and they began the adventurous life of a military family. During the Davis family’s first station assignment, Samantha began working for a local community college and found her passion in supporting the academic endeavors of others. She firmly believes that the Lord gifts each of His children uniquely and that, in combination with faith, education serves as a strong foundation for self-discovery.

Samantha found her niche in education and worked in several capacities at public-sector higher educational institutions before returning to her roots in the Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex. She was delighted to have the opportunity to join the Coram Deo Academy administrative team in 2018 and looks forward to many years of service in her role as Director of Staff.

Samantha and Bentley enjoy fellowship at Citizens Church in Plano, Texas and have celebrated 5 wonderful years of marriage. 

Doug Hix has been with Coram Deo Academy since 2013. Doug served as Athletic Director, Head Football and Track coach before taking on his current position as Director of Development. Doug came to CDA from SMU where he spent two years as the performance director for the Men’s Basketball team. Prior to that, he was the founder of San Diego-based Play Fast Athletics where he worked with athletes that have gone on to become the NFL rookie of the year, an NBA 1st round pick, Major League Baseball stars and an Olympian.

Doug is a native of Warsaw, Missouri. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Recreation Management from Pittsburg State in 1998 while also competing collegiately in track and football. Hix was a three-time All-American as a sprinter in track and an all-conference and school record-holding wide receiver in football. During his final two years at Pittsburg State, he started training players for the NFL. Hix was the owner and director of training for Play Fast Athletics from 2001-2012. He was also the editor-in-chief for Youth Fitness Magazine, which he founded in 2009.

Even greater than his passion for athletics, Hix has a true desire to help shape the lives of young people. Hix sees athletic competition as model for the spiritual struggle choosing between right and wrong that we, as Christians, go through every day.

Doug and his wife, Tricia, have three children who attend Coram Deo Academy. His family worships and serves at Gateway Church in Frisco, TX.

Ashley Kelly joined CDA in 2020 as the newly appointed District Athletic Director. Ashley is a proud Ohio native. She was an honors student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she graduated Cum Lade in 2006 with a degree in Public Relations & Sports Administration. Ashley always felt called to work in athletics, and after exploring careers working with professional teams such as the (WNBA) Washington Mystics and (NBA) Washington Wizards, she resorted back to her original love of coaching. Coach Kelly began coaching her freshman year of college at a local high school and has yet to stop. She believes deeply in the power of athletics to bring God’s word to life.
 
Ashley began working at The Cambridge School of Dallas in 2011. Under her leadership as Athletic Director and coaching at Cambridge, over ten state championships were accrued, but she asserts that her biggest accomplishment are the Christian leaders produced from the athletic department. Her love of coaching has led her to coach a multitude of sports ranging from her first love, track & field, to cross country, basketball and volleyball. She currently holds a Level 1 United States Track & Field coaching certification.
 
Ashley has served as a district president for a multitude of sports and classifications and has coordinated/hosted over six district track and cross country championships. Since 2018, Ashley has served in a leadership role with Texas Association of Private & Parochial Schools (TAPPS). From 2018-2020, she served on the TAPPS Athletic Executive Committee. She was elected to the TAPPS Executive Board in 2021. This body serves as the executive management and final authority for TAPPS. She loves being able to impact local CDA athletics, as well as making positive changes for TAPPS athletes throughout the state of Texas. 

Ashley is married to Kyle Kelly and they have three wonderful children who are students at the CDA Flower Mound Campus. They are active members at One Community Church.

Steve is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a graduate certification in Project Management from the University of Texas. After earning the PMP professional certification he also earned a M.S. in Quality Systems Management, as well as, certification as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. 

After a career in commercial and residential construction, Steve joined NOV as a Production and Quality Manager.

He and his wife Vivian, have been married for 28 years and have been blessed with three children all of whom are now through college and in careers of their own.

Tara Mosby serves as Coram Deo Academy’s Director of Marketing & Communications. She leads the advertising strategy for enrollment marketing, oversees multimedia projects, and creates both internal and external communications. In her role, she shares the work God is doing through CDA with parents, students, alumni, and the community. 

 

Tara joined the team in 2019 as the Assistant Director of Development. She was responsible for donor communications and a range of marketing efforts. Tara is passionate about using her skills to help Christian nonprofits advance God’s kingdom and, ultimately, give God glory. Prior to her time at CDA, she led marketing and digital fundraising strategy for several Christian nonprofits across the U.S. 

 

Tara earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Florida A&M University. She is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Strategic Fundraising and Philanthropy. Tara worships and serves at One Community Church in Plano.

Ms. Kathleen Perez (KP) joined the Coram Deo Academy team in March 2021, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise within the education sector. Kathleen has served as a teacher, coach, counselor, and administrator in the education field. However, her most beloved title of all is “BB” to her four grandchildren. 

KP graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Criminal Justice and became a police officer. She then had the pleasure of working for the Department of Criminal Justice prior to returning to university to study education. This change led to a remarkable and rewarding career serving K-12 students, which she is delighted to continue at Coram Deo Academy. KP has achieved degrees and certifications from Texas A&M Commerce, Stephen F. Austin, and Texas Woman’s University.

KP has two children, and four grandchildren and counting!  She attends church at Northside Baptist Church. 

 

 

Jennifer Southerland serves as the Director of Grammar and Logic Curriculum.  She classically educated her children at home prior to discovering Coram Deo Academy in 2004. Four years later, she joined the faculty where she taught for 9 years in the Grammar School before joining the Curriculum Department in 2017. She considers her service at Coram Deo Academy her ministry as she combines her passion for serving CDA families with her love of classical education. She is currently working on her master’s degree with a concentration in classical education.

Jennifer and her husband, Kurt, have been married for 30 years, and have three sons, Ryan, Aaron and Jordan who attended CDA.

Robert Terry serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs. He has been a part of Coram Deo Academy since 1999, the school’s first year, when he and his wife were two of the school’s first four teachers. Robert has taught math, Euclidean Geometry, logic, history, English, theology, philosophy, and apologetics. He has also served CDA in the past as both Curriculum Director and Director of Finance.

 

Coram Deo Academy and the classical education renewal has been a rich source of personal and spiritual growth for Robert, uniting his love of books and learning with his desire to help parents and teachers educate young people for the glory of God.

 

Robert holds a Master of Philosophy and Religion from Harrison Middleton University in addition to a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Oklahoma. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the Oxford Inklings and the intersection of literature and theology.

 

Robert and his wife Elisabeth have four children. Their son, Thomas, is a graduate of CDA. They attend St. Maximus the Confessor Orthodox Church in Denton.

Paula (Polly) Dwyer is a Texan, born and raised. She attended the University of Oklahoma on a French Horn scholarship but fell in love with the art of teaching and changed her major. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in School Administration. She began her teaching career in Noble and Moore Oklahoma. She taught college undergraduates “Models of Instruction” for the University of Oklahoma and supervised student teachers for several years before moving home to Texas to teach science at Highland Park. She obtained a second master’s in Life/Earth Science at the University of Texas, Dallas.

In 2003, she began teaching math, science, and history at Coram Deo Academy. The Dwyers chose to bring their three young children to CDA as it offered outstanding education with excellent teachers while including parents in the educational process. They believe in the parents’ responsibility to raise their children. In doing so, their children are equipped to manage the world’s challenges by filtering the information through the biblical worldview.

In 2005, Paula was promoted to be Logic School Principal. She was named the Flower Mound Campus Administrator and Logic/Rhetoric Principal in 2007. In 2016, Paula was named as the Distinguished Administrator of the Year for the Texas Private School Music Educators Association. She currently serves as the Rhetoric School Principal and Campus Administrator for the Flower Mound campus.

Paula is married to Paul and has three children, all who have graduated from CDA. Paula and her family attend Denton Bible church. She is a member of the choir. She loves athletics, the arts, history, and science. If you see her in car line, wave! She loves to greet the families of CDA.

Yvette Cavender began her partnership with CDA as a parent in 2004, when her children were in grammar school.  Soon after, she began teaching second grade, and is now the Grammar School Principal at the Flower Mound campus.  She has seen the benefits of classical education play out in the lives of her own children and considers it a privilege to collaborate with others in teaching and training students under CDA’s model. 

 

Mrs. Cavender holds Bachelor’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Political Science and Economics.  She is a certified teacher in the state of Texas.

 

Kristan Williams has been with Coram Deo Academy on the Flower Mound Campus since August 2011. She began teaching 5^th grade and moved into teaching mathematics to 5^th, 6^th and 7^th graders before taking on her current position. Kristan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and is a lifetime certified teacher. Before coming to CDA, Kristan helped start a University Model School in the Woodlands, TX.

As the Logic School Principal, she hopes to rally around the Logic School children and become a mentor to them and their families.

Matt discovered Coram Deo through students at his church, and was immediately impressed. For two years, he developed conversations with some of the staff, and he and his wife made plans to send their own children there once they were old enough. Since 2017, he has served as the Dean of Students at Flower Mound.

Matt received a Bachelor’s Degree in Literary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas. He then went on to Dallas Theological Seminary where he received a Master’s in Writing and another Master’s in Biblical Studies.

He has been at Irving Bible Church since the late 90s, where he and Camille met. They led the College Ministry for years and have also served small groups in high school and currently work with young adults in the 20’s and 30’s community. Matt’s writing has appeared, among other places, on Relevant.com, in Youthworker Journal, and in the Christian Research Journal.

Matt and Camille married in 2008. They have three children, Levi, Annabelle, and Audrey.

Coach Riley is joining Coram Deo Academy after serving as a professor of sports management and the Associate Head Football Coach, Offensive Analyst, Recruiting, and Special Teams Coordinator for the Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) football team. Additionally, he serves as a position coach and camp counselor at the Dallas Cowboys Football Academy and the Special Teams Coordinator for the Blue-Grey All-American bowl game each year at AT&T Stadium the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

 

Before his roles at SAGU, he worked at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, TX, for over ten years going to four TAPPS football state championships winning two. Coach Riley experienced unprecedented success in sending student-athletes to college on scholarships. He served in multiple positions, including Upper School Assistant Principal, Junior High School Principal, Sports Psychology Instructor, Football, and Soccer Coach (the winningest soccer coach in school history). He played professional football at various levels for over a decade.

 

His professional business experience includes serving as a managing director, consulting, and starting several multi-million dollar businesses. He has extensive experience in sales management, employee development, and revenue optimization.

 

Coach Riley is a United States Navy veteran and received his Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Management, Psychology, and Religion, as well as his Master of Science in Sports Administration. He recently entered the dissertation phase for his Ph.D. in Strategic Leadership, all with honors from Liberty University. He enjoys spending time with his wife Heather of twenty-four years and is a stay-at-home mom. They have three boys Cory (US Marine Veteran), Dylan (Serving in the US Army), and Sean II 10th grader at CDA.

Tegan (pronounced like Megan) first heard about Coram Deo Academy when she and her family attended services at Christ Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Flower Mound. She was very interested in the school because of the uniqueness of the University Model, integrated with a Classical education and the collaborative nature of the school, where parents are their student’s primary educators.

 

Mrs. Thacker was born and raised in San Diego, California. She has been married for almost 16 years to her husband Matthew. They have two boys, Levi (8) and Jude (6). Mr. and Mrs. Thacker share a common interest in music since they both studied it in college. Tegan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Hope International University and a Master of Science degree in College Student Affairs and School Counseling from California State University. Matt is an Alum of Biola University and is a Band Teacher.

 

Over the last 15 years, Tegan has been working with college and high school students in various school settings for many years. She has worked with college students at Vanguard University of Southern California, California State University in Bakersfield, Concordia University in Irvine, and Hope International University. She has also worked as a High School Counselor in various school districts in the Orange County, CA area.

 

When meeting with students and families, her goal is to get to know the student and work to reduce the common stressors within career exploration and college admissions by providing solid and accurate information and by walking families through the process, in small groups and in individual sessions.

 

Some areas of personal interest to Tegan are health and nutrition, college admission, and she loves cooking and trying new foods. Tegan is an extrovert and enjoys meeting new people, building relationships and learning the perspective of others.

 

Tegan and Matt have serve in their church choir and assist with teaching Sunday school.

You can see several of his sermons and written works on his website: http://jonjordan.com.

Michele Howard joined Coram Deo Academy as a parent in 2005 at the Collin County Campus when her oldest son started Kindergarten. Because of their love for the biblical worldview in the CDA model, the Howard family helped start the Dallas campus in 2006. Michele then joined the Dallas staff in 2009 as the 3^rd grade teacher when her youngest son started Kindergarten.  In her 10^th year she became the Admissions Coordinator in Dallas while continuing to teach.  Michele is now the Grammar School Principal.  With her background as a former parent, lead teacher, and admissions coordinator, her passion for classical education allows her to collaborate with teachers and parents under CDA’s model.  Michele considers it a joy to shepherd young hearts for Christ and to help foster a love of learning at an early age in truth, beauty, and goodness.

 

Michele has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Business Education from Baylor University. She is also a lifetime certified teacher in the state of Texas.  Before staying home with her children, Michele was a corporate trainer and manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree at Gordon College in Leadership for Classical Christian Schools.

 

Michele has been married to her husband, Rick, since 1996 and have three sons who all attended CDA in Dallas.  They have been actively involved at Watermark Community Church since 1999 and have a passion for mission work and young married couples. 

Drew Lott joined CDA in 2019 as the FM Head Baseball Coach and is now the Dallas Campus Athletic Director. 
 
Drew was born in Portland, OR and raised in Tacoma, WA and Lynden, WA where he graduated from Lynden High School.  Drew then went on to attend Trinity Western University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Human Kinetics and History. He earned his Texas Educators Certificate from Region 10. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. Drew Lott coached club baseball from 2000-2019. He has coached high school baseball at CDA FM, CDA CC, Lynden, Nooksack, and Dallas Covenant. He has coached at the collegiate level with Athletes in Action and Mid America Nazarene University. 

 

Drew sees coaching as a platform for discipleship in the gospel by incorporating prayer and devotional times with each team he coaches. He enjoys teaching athletes how to commit to a team and become a great teammate, how to embrace the hard work required for skill development, and ways to master the mental side of sports.  

 
Drew and his wife, Laura, have two young children that attend CDA Dallas in 3^rd grade and Kindergarten. His family worships and serves at Mosaic Church in Richardson, TX.

Dr. Armstrong graduated from George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon with a degree in Physical Education. After graduating he planned to play professional soccer but ended up at Pine Cove Conference center where he met his wife Beverly. He then attended Dallas Theological Seminary where he earned his Master’s in Biblical Studies (1986) and a Doctorate in Christian Education (2018).

Dr. Armstrong is married to Beverly, his wife of 40 years. They have three married children and 7 grandchildren.  Beverly has her master’s degree in Humanities from the University of Dallas and teaches both High School and College level course. They met during the summer while serving as counselors at Pine Cove Conference Center in Tyler, Texas. They attend Grace Bible Church where Dr. Armstrong teaches an adult Bible Study class on Sunday mornings.

Stephanie Garland has been a parent at CDA since 2003, a teacher since 2007, and an administrator since 2013.  After her eldest daughter had a particularly difficult year in public school, God directed her and her husband to Coram Deo Academy through, of all things, a nationally syndicated radio program.  They enrolled their children at CDA and have never looked back!

 

Before teaching at CDA, Stephanie was a stay-at-home mom for thirteen years, which followed five years of teaching English and French in public high school.  She attended the University of North Texas, where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees in Secondary Education.

 

Mr. Stults graduated from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature and Language. He was very involved in the College Ministry at Indiana Ave Baptist Church in Lubbock as well as Campus Crusade for Christ. After graduation, Mr. Stults was accepted to George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University to pursue an advanced degree to continue serving in College Ministry. During this time Mr. Stults joined the Strickland Scholars program at Baylor University and began working toward a Master of Education Degree in Curriculum and Instruction which he completed in May 2001. In the following years Mr. Stults taught Junior and Senior English, served as an assistant Golf Coach, and joined the Coram Deo Academy team in 2008.

Mr. Stults has been involved in Education for 20 years, 13 of which have been with Coram Deo Academy. Mr. Stults has taught various levels and courses to include 5^th Grade, 6^th Grade English, Algebra I, Geometry, AP US History, and American Literature. also coached various levels of basketball at the school for 8 years. Mr. Stults currently teaches Medieval and Renaissance Literature and AP European History. Additionally, he currently serves as a technology liaison, House Leader (ARC), and College Guidance Counselor.

Mr. Stults is married to Amanda, and they will celebrate their 13^th anniversary this year. They have two children, Piper (10) and Drake (6), both of whom will attend Coram Deo Academy. The Stults family attends Denton Bible Church where Mr. Stults is involved in Discipleship and AWANA.

Josh Nokes joined Coram Deo in 2018 by way of Savannah, GA, where he served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Savannah Christian Preparatory School.  Additionally, he coached football and wrestling while teaching Advanced Placement United States History, and oversaw the consolidation and integration of the middle school athletic program within the SCPS Athletic Department.  During his time there, the school had the highest ranking athletic department in Savannah.

 

Josh is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a degree in Secondary Education and a Masters in Business Administration.  After college, Josh spent several years in discipleship ministry with K-Life Ministries in Fort Worth before beginning his teaching career in Carrollton.  At Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco, he developed an Advanced Placement American History program that saw a pass rate increase from 5% to 82% while also working as an assistant football coach with the team who made two state championship appearances and as head coach to the softball team who appeared in the semifinals.  At The Covenant School of Dallas, he was the Athletic and Facilities Coordinator and was charged with preparing the football program to move from 6-man to 11-man football.  In 2013, he had the privilege of being a part of the staff that won the TAPPS state championship in 6-man football.  In addition, he served as the head baseball coach at Covenant, taking the team to the playoffs in his final year at the school.  

 

Nathan Hudler is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a degree in Mathematics and Education. He was involved as a small group leader with the campus ministry Chi Alpha. After two years teaching Geometry in the public school system, Nathan decided to attend Dallas Theological Seminary, and graduated with a Master of Theology with a focus in Christian Education in 2013.  

While finishing his degree, Nathan joined the Coram Deo faculty in the fall of 2012. The following school year, Mr. Hudler became a full-time faculty member, and has taught a variety of classes over the years including Physics, AP Chem, Physical Science, Life Science, Theology, and Theology 2. In addition, Nathan also serves as the Dean of Students, the senior class advisor, and faculty advisor for the House of Newton.